Erie Insurance finds itself in federal court, sued directly under a federal law that lets claimants bypass diplomatic immunity and target insurers instead.
The case, filed January 22, 2026, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, stems from a September 2025 chain-reaction collision in Midtown Manhattan involving a vehicle owned by the Georgia Mission to the United Nations. The lawsuit names Erie Insurance Company alongside the diplomatic mission, its driver, and two other defendants - the operator of a second vehicle and its owner.
At the heart of the matter is the Diplomatic Relations Act of 1978, a federal statute that requires foreign missions operating in the United States to carry liability insurance on their vehicles. More significantly for the insurance industry, the law allows injured parties to sue those insurers directly in federal court — a mechanism that effectively sidesteps the immunity protections foreign diplomats typically enjoy.
According to court filings, Nader Galal, a Queens resident, was traveling northbound on Third Avenue on September 9, 2025, when he stopped at a red light at the East 40th Street intersection. Teimuraz Saliashvili, a driver employed by the Georgia Mission, was allegedly operating a 2022 Lexus with diplomatic plates behind another vehicle, a 2021 Tesla driven by Eric Xiao Kang and owned by Zongmin Zhou.
The filings allege that Saliashvili's vehicle rear-ended the Tesla, setting off a chain reaction that sent one or both vehicles into Galal's stationary car. Galal claims he suffered serious injuries, including a fractured left radius near the elbow, and is seeking damages exceeding $75,000.
Erie Insurance, a Pennsylvania-based insurer, is listed as the auto insurer for the diplomatic vehicle. The lawsuit invokes the direct action provision under 28 U.S.C. 1364, which permits claims against insurers of foreign missions to proceed in federal district court.
The case also relies on the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act of 1976, which carves out an exception allowing lawsuits against foreign states and their instrumentalities in motor vehicle accident cases.
For insurers underwriting diplomatic accounts, the case serves as a reminder that coverage for foreign missions comes with a unique wrinkle: federal law creates a direct path from the accident scene to the insurer's defense costs. Unlike standard auto liability claims, where the insured is the primary defendant, insurers of diplomatic vehicles can find themselves at the center of litigation from the outset.
The Georgia Mission and Zhou are also alleged to be vicariously liable under New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law for the actions of their respective drivers.
No determination on the merits has been made.
